APG-L Archives

Archiver > APG > 2005-06 > 1118708584


From: Christine Crawford-Oppenheimer <>
Subject: Re: [APG] Copyright question
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2005 20:23:04 -0400
References: <80.2993f1c8.2fde60bd@aol.com>
In-Reply-To: <80.2993f1c8.2fde60bd@aol.com>


Just for the record, the 75 year rule is no longer correct. I recently
put together a talk on "Writing Your Family History" and found some
references to that rule from books published in the late 1990s.

For better information, see the web site at
http://www.unc.edu/~unclng/public-d.htm
"When U. S. Works Pass into the Public Domain," by Lolly Gasaway. Lolly
is a librarian with a law degree, and is one of the foremost authorities
on copyright and fair use. I've attended some workshops that she
presented, and the best comparison I can make is to say that she is the
Elizabeth Shown Mills of copyright (high praise indeed!)--knowledgeable
*and* presents a lively and interesting workshop.

Look at her web site for precise information about when what kind of
works pass into the public domain, but for generalization, instead of
thinking "75 year rule," think of 1923 as the magic date.

Christine

--
Christine Crawford-Oppenheimer
Hyde Park, NY 12538
Genealogical Writer and Speaker
Author of Long Distance Genealogy:
Researching Your Ancestors from Home
http://www.familytreemagazine.com/store/



This thread: